READ THIS FIRST: Brain Surgery Updates and Important News

I have important news to share. Some of you have heard this from me, but I have found that the stress of sharing this information one at a time is too much, so it's time to rip off the bandaid and share it this way.

The good news:
My brain surgery went extremely well. The neurosurgeon is a rockstar, and it looks like he got pretty close to 100% of the brain tumor out. My staples are out, and I am still home recovering, which mostly involves sleeping the majority of the day.

The bad news:
The pathology came back. I have brain cancer. Chemo and radiation start on Monday for 6 weeks.

More good news:
Because of my age, my health, and the fact that I have not had any seizures, the oncology team is confident that I can fight this. And I will fight this.

Finally, the Important News:
Right now, I am preparing for the fight of my life. I am working so hard to take care of my mental, spiritual, and physical health, and what this means is that I am having to be very strict about my boundaries. My family and friends: I love you all so much, and I so appreciate all of those offers for help, for visits, for everything that you have offered me. At this point, because I am still recovering from the surgery while also dealing with this traumatic news, I am limiting visits and phone calls. If you want to reach out to me, you can comment here, find me on FB, or even drop me a text message.


If you want to help me, here are some things that I could use:

My Amazon Wish List: These are items that I need to help me prepare for these treatments. Because all of this happened so quickly after moving into a new house, some of the items on this list are specifically to help make the house comfortable, especially because I will be home and not working for at least the next six weeks. There are also gift cards listed here because any amount will help pay for gas or groceries.  The Husband will be driving me 30 miles each way to radiation five days a week. This means that these treatments will cost me at least two tanks of gas a week to get back and forth for my appointments.

My Second Amazon Wish List: These are comfort items, things that I think will help make me more comfortable over the next several weeks that I will be home. These things might not necessarily be needed, but will absolutely help keep me positive and prepared to fight.

My CashApp: I hate to even ask, but if you are willing and able to donate any amount at all, it would help me pay for gas, groceries, and other necessities, especially while I am not working.

Right now, we are still considering creating a GoFundMe, if we do so, any help in spreading the word will be greatly appreciated.

This has been an incredibly stressful month, from having a weird headache to suddenly needing brain surgery and finding out my diagnosis, but I wanted everyone to hear from me.

I am more than my diagnosis. I do not want to be known as the brain cancer lady. I am still me: tell me corny jokes - tell me about your day - recommend good books and fun movies! If you reach out to me, remember that spreading positivity will make me feel much stronger in this fight, and hearing sad noises from people will only make it harder for me to stay strong.

Ultimately, I know that it is hard to get this news this way. Unfortunately, every individual conversation about my diagnosis makes me emotional and the stress is just not good for my mental health. I can't cry about this anymore. I understand if you want to cry, but remember - I am fighting this, and I am more than my diagnosis.